bow
verb [ I or T ] uk/baʊ/ us/baʊ/
（使）鞠躬；（使）欠身；点头致意
to bend your head or body forward, especially as a way of showing someone respect or expressing thanks to people who have watched you perform
They bowed to the Queen. 他们向女王鞠躬。
We bowed our heads in prayer. 我们俯首祷告。
He bowed down (= very low) before (= in front of) the king and begged for mercy. 他向国王深深鞠躬乞求宽恕。
Compare: curtsy verb
- More examples
- They bowed deferentially as she came into the room.
- The children bowed their heads in shame.
- The Princess, visibly moved, kept her head bowed during the ceremony.
- They had to bow to the Prince.
- She bowed down before the King.
Idiom
bow and scrapeidiom disapproving 点头哈腰，奴颜婢膝
to show too much politeness or attention to someone
It's embarrassing to see people bowing and scraping to the new CEO. 看到员工们对新首席执行官如此卑躬屈膝真是令人难堪。
Phrasal verbs
bow down to someone 服从，遵从，听命于…
to show respect to someone and agree that they are more powerful than you
He expects me to bow down to him and do everything he tells me. 他希望我服从他，对他俯首帖耳。
bow out 辞职;退出
to leave a job or stop doing an activity, usually after a long time
She'll be bowing out at the end of the month, after hosting the programme for eight years. 她将在本月底退出这档她已主持了8年的节目。
bow to someone/something 向…低头，向…屈服
to do what someone else wants you to do, usually unwillingly
Eventually they were forced to bow to public pressure and reform the tax. 最终他们屈从于公众的压力，被迫对税收进行改革。
bow
noun [ C ] uk/baʊ/ us/baʊ/
(BEND)
鞠躬；欠身；点头致意
the movement of bending your head or body forward, especially as a way of showing someone respect or expressing thanks to people who have watched you perform
The audience applauded enthusiastically, and she came back on stage to take another bow. 观众热烈地鼓掌，她又回到舞台上再次向观众鞠躬致谢。
(FRONT PART)
(also bows)船头，舰首
the front part of a ship
Compare: stern noun (SHIP)
Idiom
fire a (warning) shot across someone's bowidiom formal 对…发出警告
to do something in order to warn someone that you will take strong action if that person does not change their behaviour
Airline employees have fired a warning shot across the company's bows by threatening to strike if higher pay increases are not offered. 航空公司员工已经向公司发出警告，威胁说如果不大幅度加薪就要举行罢工。